The present invention relates generally to providing thermal management to vehicles that operate using unconventional means, such as a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), such as a battery pack, that can be plugged-in to an electrical outlet for recharging.
For vehicles having a RESS, which may be, for example, a battery pack, the range that the vehicle can travel using the stored energy of the RESS is important. For battery packs in these vehicles, the temperature of the battery pack is a significant factor in maximizing this vehicle range. Thus, it is desirable to manage the RESS thermal system to maximize the vehicle range, while charging the RESS in an energy efficient manner as well.